Detecting a bacterium that eats CO2

Clostridium thermocellum has recently become famous for its ability to decompose cellulose (the type of organic compound commonly found in plants), turning them into usable biofuels without the need for additional enzymes.

In further study of this bacterium, scientists at the NREL Renewable Energy Laboratory at the US Department of Energy have discovered one more possibility: this bacterium can eat and digest. It also turns into CO ₂ .

Clostridium thermocellum bacteria.

Although it doesn't mean to release some Clostridium thermocellum in the environment so that it consumes CO ₂ , this is still a good thing. The noteworthy aspect is that this bacterium can be "reprogrammed" in order for them to produce a better, low-carbon biofuel.

"If we understand how this bacterium absorbs CO2, we will be able to make it absorb more," said one of the researchers at NREL, Katherine J. Chou. This can help minimize the amount of CO2 released into the environment as much as possible.

The exact behavior of C. thermocellum remains a mystery. We still know that this bacterium is heterotrophic, and normally, heterotrophes must use organic carbon from the environment (like cellulose) to build cells and survive. They are bacteria that can turn carbon through natural circulation back to the original inorganic form of CO ₂ .

When these bacteria absorb organic carbon, they produce CO ₂ as a byproduct released into the environment. The process of naming this carbon loss will reduce the amount of biofuels collected by this heterotrophic species.

Scientists at NREL are holding a test tube containing Clostridium thermocellum bacteria.In order from left to right are Mrs. Pin-Ching Maness, Ms. Katherine J. Chou and Mr. Wei Xiong.

"Carbon loss is a big waste, when that organic carbon can be used to do a lot of things," Chou said. "If we mass produce biofuels but waste a third of CO ₂ that should have been useful, is that path really right?"

Avoiding waste is the reason why C. thermocellum is so noticeable: they can effectively convert cellulose into biofuel. Scientists believe that part of the reason for this is that the amount of carbon loss is not much, but they still do not know how the bacterium works correctly.

After many studies, scientists have found that the mechanism of C. thermocellum is very special, they are able to absorb CO2 and that means that, C. thermocellum can continue continue to absorb the main amount of CO ₂ they release, preventing the introduction of additional CO ₂ into the environment.

This bacterium can effectively convert cellulose into biofuel.

"But how can this bacterium both absorb cellulose and get back that CO2, which is still a curious question," Chou said. Research to understand this species still needs to be done thoroughly.

Not fully grasping their mechanism of action, but this bacterium is still a huge potential, probably in a short time, we will be able to replace fuel with a biofuel. effectively. Not yet fully researched, the power of this bacterium has not been fully revealed, let us wait and see what scientists do to change this world.